It Was While You Were Sleeping
by Crazychicke
Summary: Based on the movie While you Were Sleeping with Klefaroline. Caroline spends Christmas working, and her crush, Klaus Mikaelson is almost killed. After saving him, a misunderstanding at the hospital complicates everything, and Caroline struggles to tell his family the truth. But it is Stefan, Klaus' younger brother who eventually steals her heart. AU!Humans.
1. Part I

**Disclaimer: not mine. A/N: It's christmas soon, and **_**While you were Sleeping**_** is one of my favourite Xmas movies - I wanted to explore the concept with Klefaroline. Everyone is human. I couldn't picture Mikael being a doting father so Esther is married to Ansel, he is their step father and Mikael is long gone. The Mikaelsons have adopted Stefan, he's Klaus' best friend and brother. Finn is based on Soul, and Freya on Elsie. Written for my own amusement x**

**It was While you Were Sleeping**

**Part I**

Caroline Forbes is decorating her blue spruce tree in her apartment, layering tinsel and placing baubles the way her mother taught her. Christmas was time for family...it was depressing to think she was the only one in Mystic Falls not to have any, at least it felt like that - Liz, her mother, was Sheriff and had to work Christmas - like mother, like daughter - Caroline thought to herself, she would be working on Christmas too - collecting tokens and watching those happy people live up their holidays while her toes froze off. Things were different ten years ago when her father was still alive. Caroline had once asked Liz when she knew she was truly in love, and she said, it was 'when he gave her the world...', metaphorically speaking. Caroline glanced at the bookshelf, and picked up some more ornaments to hang onto the tree. Beside them is a lamp in the shape of a globe - they used to close their eyes and let their fingers point out destinations, and then as Caroline grew older and her mother grew busier, the thought of leaving Mystic Falls for anywhere became only a dream.

Caroline is working her shift alone, sliding the tokens towards her miserably as she thinks of her boss and all her friends celebrating Christmas with their families. It's cold, she tugs her pink beanie further down her ears, and then somebody wishes her 'Merry Christmas' - she looks up and sees him smiling at her warmly, and then he's gone. She slaps herself in the head for staring at him like a codfish, and losing her voice - she had waited for this moment for three months - god, she was so stupid! There's a yell and Caroline looks out the window to see two teens hassling her crush, they toss his red scarf in his face, laughing and then he's tumbling backwards and Caroline is half way out of the stall, she's running hard and fast, and there's nobody to come help her. She's shouting at the man, but he's unconscious and she's really panicking now because the train is coming, and he's lying, dead still on the tracks. Caroline jumps onto the platform, she grabs his trench coat, taking in a whiff of his aftershave. 'God, you smell good!' she whispers to herself, then she sees the train.

'Please wake up, please, please! Oh god, Mister? Misterrrrr, there's a train coming an it's fast - it's an express...' Caroline realizes rambling to an unconscious man is not productive, and she clutches his coat, grits her teeth together and with only minute - the train bearing down on her - she rolls them both to safety.

* * *

><p>'Are you family?' a nurse said, suddenly.<p>

Caroline has his coat bundled up in her arms, and she watches them wheel the man into the closed ward. She doesn't know his name, but she finds herself walking towards him - she just wants to see if he's ok. The nurse bars her exit, repeats his question and Caroline mumbles 'no' - she's told to stay where she is, and she knows she's not going to see him again, she murmurs 'I was going to marry him...' which is overheard by Elena Gilbert, a new intern. Caroline is shown to Klaus Mikaelson's room, and she sees him sound asleep in the hospital bed - he looks peaceful, despite cuts and bruises, and Caroline almost feels like brushing away the bits of hair stuck down by dried pieces of blood. She comes closer to him, and hesitates, raising her hand, slowly...then voices, lots of them, and she's suddenly surrounded by a doctor, and Klaus' extended family. She feels suddenly out of place, and moves to the back of the room, almost reaching the door when a policeman with blond hair and blue eyes folds his arms across his chest.

'Are you the woman that saved his life?' he asked.

Caroline half smiles, then realizes the entire ward is listening in on their conversation. Elena smiles, 'it gets even better than that, she's his fiancé...' and then Caroline lost her voice for a second time, as chaos erupted around her. She steered Elena from the room, getting a strange look from Sergeant Donovan and demanded in a hushed whisper why would she make up such a thing?

'I'm not engaged, I haven't even spoken to him. I was speaking to myself,' Caroline hissed.

'Well next time, tell yourself you're single and be done with it.' Caroline couldn't blame Elena, this whole mess had happened because of her own fat mouth. How was she going to tell Klaus' family it was all a misunderstanding? She wrung her hands nervously and Elena looked empathetic.

By the time they returned to the ward, Klaus' family were assembled around his bed. Caroline took her time, assessing each family member, seeing Elena plumping his pillows and checking his vitals in the corner of her eye. Klaus' mother was brushing her fingers through his hair like mother's do, and Klaus' father was tall, with an unshaven beard and bright eyes - he was in deep discussion with the doctor who kept reminding him to keep his voice down. Caroline listened while she took in the rest; two siblings in their teens, each one holding one of Klaus' hands each. At the end of his bed, wearing a concerned expression was Elijah, the older brother. The two younger ones kept looking at him for answers - he gave them a reassuring wink instead. Behind him, playing cards were Finn and Freya - the older twins, she had picked up their names from the younger two, Rebekah and Kol.

'How did this happen?' Ansel demanded to the doctor. Caroline saw Elena glance at her alarmed, but she shook her head, and let the story play out, she had no counter argument planned yet.

'He's in a coma... he was pushed from the platform at the station...'

'For heaven's sake, Ansel, don't yell at him. If only Stefan was here.'

The doctor looked stressed, he pushed his glasses back up the bridge of his nose and his knuckles squeezed the clipboard tightly in his hands. Elijah smiled at Elena, who took her leave, squeezing Caroline's shoulder gently in compensation. Maybe she could sneak away too, Caroline thought...

_Oh_, the rude nurse spotted her. He came storming into the ward pointing fingers - _she was so dead_. Elijah moved between her and the nurse and in a casual voice, hands in his suit pockets said: 'What seems to be the problem?' Caroline felt everyone's eyes on her - she bit her lip, keeping quiet. 'She's not family, what's she doing here?' The doctor looked just as confused as the rest of them. Elijah remained calm, raising an eyebrow and to Caroline's surprise said, 'She's Klaus' fiancé, she is family.'

Caroline is sitting alone beside Klaus, the others had given them some privacy and the male nurse left, fuming. Caroline sighed, sifting through memories of Klaus and sharing her first thoughts with him. She had read in some magazine that talking to trauma victims when they were unconscious helped, so she rambled on, inching her hand closer to his and staring breathlessly into his handsome face, hardly daring to believe she was there with him.

'I think you should know your family thinks we're engaged. I didn't mean this to happen. I don't know what to do.' She squeezed his hand hopelessly, and felt comforted by his steady breaths.

* * *

><p>Caroline woke up the next morning, still partially holding Klaus' hand, and wiped her eyes. After a moment she said: 'do you believe in love at first sight? We saw each other, and I smiled and I knew my life would never be the same.' Knowing she would be late for work if she stayed any longer, she gathered up her things giving Klaus one more glance and collided with Finn in the doorway. He wasn't smiling, and Caroline had a mini freak out that he had overheard everything she had said to Klaus. She hung her head guiltily, knowing it was time to be honest with them and herself. Finn stepped forwards and told her: 'You know something, you saved his life. In fact, I think you saved the whole family.' He smiled at Caroline's bewildered expression and took the same seat as yesterday. Shortly, the rest of the Mikaelsons joined them and Caroline says a quick hello and goodbye, thinking over Finn's statement. Had he overheard her? Would he tell the rest of the family? Should she be worried?<p>

She is waiting for the lift when Ansel jogs up to her waving a business card - she smiles, and he invites her to celebrate Christmas with his family, giving the card to her before she has time to say no. Rebekah catches up to them, beaming. 'Stefan's going to be there too. Kol, you've been ages!' Kol steps out of the lift, ladled with trays of coffee and gives Rebekah a smirk. The lift threatens to close, Caroline sticks her arm out to stop it. Another nurse, one she hasn't met yet is running towards her.

'I'm sorry Mrs Mikaelson, these are your husband's things.' A large box is thrust into her face.

'He's not my husband!' Caroline snaps, realizing Kol was still there, and still staring at her.

'I'm sorry, your fiancé,' the male nurse leaves in a hurry, and Caroline attempts the lift again, hoping Kol forgot her outburst - instead he gets into the lift and when the door closes and they reach the ground level, Caroline knows even more of Klaus' history than she wants to admit. She bids Kol goodbye and hurries back to her apartment to feed her cat.

* * *

><p>Ten minutes into her two-minute noodles and Caroline is regretting her decision to not accept Ansel's invite. She had fed her cat and listened to her voicemails, Liz had left one to say they would have to celebrate Christmas again another day. She deleted the message, and checked her phone. There was a text from Bonnie, inviting her to their work party on friday night. Caroline texted back 'I'll be there' and pulled the business card off the fridge. Ansel owned a furniture business - she made an impromptu decision and found herself climbing out of a cab and walking up to a massive house covered in fairy lights. She wondered what it had been like to be a child in that house.<p>

She is still gaping at the house like an idiot when Finn wanders down the path, a lit cigarette leaving steam in the brisk air. He mumbles something about being banned from the house and asks her to keep him company. He tells her he's Klaus' godfather and oldest brother, smiling coyly in her direction and takes another drag. 'My wife passed away two years ago, you remind me of her actually - feisty, hardworking, loves deeply. You two would have become fast friends. I wanted to officially welcome you to the family. Our mother has been cooking up a storm all night, and Freya has made her traditional eggnog, just warning you - it's strong!' Finn winked just before the door opened and soon Caroline was being hugged by both Esther and Rebekah, and Kol leaned against the door, paranoid she might confess his secret about Klaus.

Caroline finds herself on the lounge between Kol and Rebekah with a family album on her knees - millions of photos of Klaus with his siblings, saving squirrels, high school proms and graduations. She smiles into a particularly handsome one of him at she realizes is Elijah's wedding, and is stunned by his bride.

'That's Katherine,' Rebekah states. 'She's Elena's twin sister, you know, the nurse from the hospital?'

Caroline finds a young Rebekah in the bridal part and also, a younger Finn with his arms around a beautiful girl with red hair. 'That's Sage,' Rebekah explained. 'She died of breast cancer two years ago.' Caroline felt a lump in her throat and closed the album. She sees Esther hanging a stocking above the fireplace with her name on it and felt grateful, yet guilty for being there. Elijah squeezed Finn's shoulder comfortingly and Ansel carved the turkey. Kol had left the couch for some eggnog, and Rebekah was handing around presents, saving the largest one for Caroline. 'I hope you like it,' she beamed.

* * *

><p>Caroline was wearing her new Christmas jumper over her clothes and was toasty warm, covered in fluffy blankets on the couch. She heard whispers in the hall and gathered that Stefan had finally made it home, the other brother she had not met. She felt her heart jump at the thought of meeting him and smiled into the lounge when Rebekah began to rouse on him for speaking too loudly.<p>

'Don't wake Caroline!'

'Who's Caroline?'

'Klaus' fiancé!'

'No!'

After Stefan and Rebekah had gone, Caroline nodded off to sleep and woke up an hour or two later. She gathered up her things and made sure to tidy up the couch, leaving it presentable. She crept from the lounge room to the front door, almost there, when someone startled her. Stefan was sitting on the stairs with a newspaper on his knee and a coffee in his other hand. Caroline greeted him nervously, and apologised, telling him she was running late for work, really late.

'Caroline, hey, welcome to the family...' Stefan smiled, and Caroline was just grateful he didn't accuse her of anything, though he could have. Her shift went quickly and soon she was sitting on her bed, finally having time to sift through Klaus' belongings. His wallet was filled with lots of notes, and a photograph of his whole family, there was that pang of guilt again but she wasn't in it because he didn't know she existed. She picked up a brown bag and tipped its contents out - house keys and cat food.

* * *

><p>Caroline opens up Klaus' apartment and is instantly stunned by the row of paintings and sketches on the grey walls. The furniture is modern, and she wonders if it is from Ansel's furniture business. As she looks out at the cityscape, a lone raven walked across the balcony. She walked through the house whistling for the cat, barges open the kitchen door hard and it hits Stefan right in the bridge of his nose. She gasps, standing back to see a bent over and groaning, man. She has no idea what he's doing there but grabs some ice, anyway.<p>

'What are you doing?' Stefan asks holding a tea towel of ice to his bleeding nose.

'Feeding the cat,' Caroline said, trying to look normal by the kitchen counter.

'Klaus doesn't have a cat.' Stefan tells her as a ragdoll meows suddenly. Caroline sees the cat is called 'Fluffy,' petting it and putting it onto the counter to eat its breakfast. Stefan is looking confused, then the phone rings - Caroline lets it go to the machine but a suspicious Stefan picks it up. It's the hospital asking them to give blood. Caroline tells Stefan she met Klaus September 17. Stefan begins to grill her on everything important to Klaus like his favourite colour, favourite food, first girl he kissed, favourite sports team, favourite band...

'The Beatles,' Caroline finished, standing at the end of Klaus' bed, surrounded yet again, by Klaus family. Many of them, including Elijah were disapproving of Stefan's methods, and twice Freya announced, 'if she wanted to prove it, she'd prove it...' Thankfully Kol wasn't in the room when she told them about Klaus' missing testicle and how Klaus had lost it playing a basketball match with him. Caroline turns to Esther who agrees, seeing Caroline's story is true. When Caroline is about to leave Finn draws her aside and says 'I know everything. Don't look so worried, I'm not going to tell on you. In fact, I don't think you should tell the family at all. Meeting you, it's like they have Klaus back, don't ruin that. You are family, now.' Finn looked up as Stefan walked briskly passed. 'There's an engagement present from our parents downstairs, why don't you follow Stefan, and see where you want to keep it.' Caroline didn't know what to say, so instead she smiled gratefully at him for keeping her secret and hurried up to Stefan who was waiting for her in the lift. She folded her arms.

'Where do you want it?' Stefan asks as he climbs into the truck.

'Oh, it's perfect,' Caroline gushes, looking straight at a beautifully, handcrafted rocking chair.

'Well, too bad...yours is the couch,' Stefan said unloading it down the ramp.

'Oh, I'm sorry!'

'Don't be, I made it.'

'It's beautiful,' Caroline whispers, then she turns to the couch, which is white with green spots.

Somehow they get the couch across the marbled floors and into Klaus' apartment 57G - there's a bit of difficulty in pushing it through the doorway, and a huge mess after it sprung into the air and smashed a vase of flowers onto the carpet. 'I think it should go right there,' Stefan said, and it did.

* * *

><p>Caroline and Stefan walk back to his truck to find that someone has parked him in and he's stuck there for the night. She waved him goodbye but he's surprised she might leave him behind, and offers to walk her to her door, not for her protection he assures her, but for his. They talk about lots of things, walking across the promenade and listening to the tide coming in. Caroline shivers, pulling her coat tighter around her and wishing she had remembered to wear her gloves.<p>

'You need a better coat,' he tells her.

'It was my dad's,' Caroline explains.

'Well he's probably freezing,' Stefan adds, and Caroline giggles before adding that he'd passed away.

'Oh, I'm sorry.'

Caroline sighs, thinking of the light globe on her bookshelf. Stefan kicks some loose stones across the bridge. 'He liked maps,' she smiled to herself. Stefan nodded, 'Yeah, I live by maps - if there was one place in the world, where would you go?' She doesn't even need a minute to think on it, she answers 'Florence' immediately and shows Stefan her passport she carried in her bag and how there were no stamps in it, but how she wanted Italy to be the first. 'You know in a very small way, you remind me of him.' They reach her apartment and she warns him about how the path gets slippery, especially at night - it's covered in sleet and snow and she is surprised by how nice he's being.

'It's okay, you don't have to walk me to my door,' she told him, then as if karma had it in for her, Caroline's foot slid out from beneath her and she grabbed Stefan to stop herself from falling. He offers words of comfort and encouragement and suddenly the whole situation seems especially funny, and just as she steadies herself, Stefan takes a step backwards and falls, bringing them both down onto the cold, wet, path. Caroline hasn't hurt herself. She checks on Stefan, her eyes bright with joy and laughter spills out of her. He's complaining about his pants which have ripped in the fall, and Caroline needs to stop laughing because she can feel tears in her eyes. Her nose is red and she pulls herself up, still giggling and wishes Stefan goodnight.

**A/N: Please review! Part II almost done.**


	2. Part II

**Disclaimer: not mine. A/N: It's christmas soon, and **_**While you were Sleeping**_** is one of my favourite Xmas movies - I wanted to explore the concept with Klefaroline. Everyone is human. I couldn't picture Mikael being a doting father so Esther is married to Ansel, he is their step father and Mikael is long gone. The Mikaelsons have adopted Stefan, he's Klaus' best friend and brother. Finn is based on Soul, and Freya on Elsie. Written for my own amusement x**

**It was While you Were Sleeping**

**Part II**

Caroline gets home to find her mother waiting up for her, a steaming mug of hot chocolate cupped between both hands and a grin forming as she looks down through the curtains to outside. Caroline closes the apartment door and realizes just how late it is, throwing her keys onto the coffee table. The Christmas lights are flashing blue, red and green and she gives her mother a warm kiss in greeting - she has so much to tell her. After a few sips of her drink, Caroline sits down, silently.

After a few moments she tells her mother, with a guilty feeling in her chest. 'I'm having an affair. I'm in love with Stefan.' Liz points outside and Caroline sighs, nodding.

'So, what's the problem with that?' Liz said, fishing out a marshmallow with the tip of her finger.

'So, he thinks I'm engaged to Klaus!' Caroline sat back, dramatically in her chair.

'The man from the station?' Liz asked.

'Yes!' Caroline's face disappeared behind her mug, again.

'Caroline, you have to tell them the truth,' Liz sighed, shaking her head.

'What if I lose them all?' She couldn't bear that, she had grown so close to them all.

'Maybe you will, maybe you won't, but you can't keep doing this - it's not good for anyone.'

* * *

><p>Stefan is sitting in the hospital playing cards with Klaus, he splits the deck and talks to him as if he were awake. He remembers their days as school boys and discussed their first crushes; he talks about the squirrels and all the medals Klaus brought home and how he was never really envious of anyone, until now. He admits to being in love with Caroline and looks down at the cards he's placed in front of his unconscious brother, sadness and regret visible in his own voice. 'You were always unlucky in cards, but lucky in love,' Stefan mumbled, disappointed.<p>

Finn stands outside the room, watching over his two younger brothers, Stefan hadn't noticed him.

* * *

><p>Caroline is sitting in her usual position, elbow on the edge of the table, crossed legged and wearing her gloves so her fingers don't freeze, when Rebekah and Kol appear at the window. Bonnie swivels in her chair to see what's happening when Caroline lets them enter the stall. Rebekah gives her a hug and is all smiles and Kol is more interested in chatting up Bonnie, and to Caroline's surprise she doesn't seem to mind. The siblings don't stay long because the train comes, but Rebekah kisses Caroline's cheek and tells her she can't wait for them to be real life sisters, and Bonnie gives her a curious look, while Kol states: 'She's marrying our brother.'<p>

To Caroline's uneasiness, Bonnie seems to be taking the news better than she thought, but she stumbles over it herself, muttering excuses because she is still debating what to do about the whole thing. Caroline reminds the teens they are going to miss their train if they don't go immediately and wishes them well. Bonnie accuses her of being pregnant. Of course she'd think that, it had only been a three month engagement - but instead of denying it, Caroline said, sarcastically. 'Yes, Bonnie, I'm pregnant.' Unbeknown to Caroline, Rebekah had overheard everything and was running over to Kol to tell him the exciting news.

* * *

><p>After returning home, dressing herself in clothes that weren't crinkled or needed to be washed, Caroline made her way back over the slippery path and to Bonnie's house up the street. Stefan was waiting for her, leaning against his red car and acting rather strange. Despite her protests that she was fine, he offered to drive her up the road and escorted her to Bonnie's front door, denying anything was wrong. Caroline knew he was lying and his behaviour was beginning to piss her off.<p>

Bonnie could not have opened the door fast enough, all day Caroline had wanted to see Stefan and now she wanted to get away from him. It seemed everyone from work was already at Bonnie's and Caroline brushed her hand through her wavy hair, spotting a table full of alcohol.

'Hey everyone! Caroline's brought her fiancé!' Bonnie shouted to the whole room. It seemed karma really wanted to punish her for all the lies she had told so far. She poured herself a glass of wine, right to the top and was about to drink it in one gulp when Stefan, who had just escaped her work colleagues and was looking even more stressed, shouted: 'You shouldn't be drinking! It's not good for the baby!' Least to say, they did not stay long after that, and Caroline, frustrated, confused and downright in need of more alcohol stormed off down the street with Stefan running after her apologising for the misunderstanding. She realized she was partially to blame after Rebekah had only quoted her own words to his family, but it was his next confession that really got under her skin - and she didn't want to admit why it was, especially not to Stefan who was looking at her apologetically, and had stopped, she noticed, to catch his breath.

'Look, the fact is you're not really Klaus' type,' Stefan began slowly.

'Alright Stefan, whose type am I?' Caroline snapped through the brisk air.

Stefan sighed, his mouth opened and closed and he looked everywhere, his feet, her left ear, the neighbour's garden, but not into her eyes like a normal person. She gritted her teeth.

'I just want you to be happy,' he mumbled.

'And what do you know about happiness, Stefan. Have you told your father you don't want his business? Well, have you?' she snapped, she had hit a nerve and yet, she didn't care. Stefan threw his finger in her face. 'Hey, just because you spent a week with them, doesn't make you an expert.'

'Spending a lifetime with them, doesn't make you one either," Caroline snapped.

She stormed off, leaving him in the street and hoped to god she wouldn't slip over trying to get to her front door. That night she didn't sleep. She turned on the radio and listened to Christmas carols.

* * *

><p>Soon it was New Year's Eve and she received a call from the hospital telling her Klaus was awake. Startled, adrenaline induced and scared out of her wits she made her way to see him and found Elena waiting for her outside his room. 'He's awake,' she smiled, then recognising her terrified expression indicated that his whole family were inside already. Caroline hadn't slept for two reasons, one she refused to discuss which started with S and ended in N, and the other, she was sick of lying to these lovely people about who she really was and how she knew their son.<p>

Esther greeted her warmly with a hug and Caroline stumbled over her sentence like an idiot. 'I have to tell you something, I was never...' Esther sighed, hugging her shoulders and walking her over to Klaus' bed. 'Pregnant? Yes, Stefan told us. But come. Klaus, sweetheart, look who's here to see you!'

Caroline was sitting in Stefan car in a horrified silence, wringing her hands and biting her lip. Klaus had not recognised her. His entire family and the doctor convinced him he had selected amnesia. She did not know where the lie started and stopped, they had emerged into a million different lies and she had no idea how to make it stop, at least, not without hurting them, and she was terrified of that - she needed to speak to Finn, she needed him to help her tell them the truth. Stefan pulled up outside her apartment and she saw he was staring blankly out the front window.

'Thank you Stefan, you've been really great this week...' she began, grateful of his company, even if part of the time he drove her up the wall. Stefan snorted, 'Like when I thought you were pregnant and I announced it to all your friends...?' He sighed, looking straight into her soul. 'I think you and Klaus are going to make a terrific couple...' she couldn't bring herself to smile, he looked so broken, gripping the steering wheel, tight. Caroline pulled open the car door, wanting to tell him the truth but not knowing how.

* * *

><p>Finn is pacing up and down the room with Klaus eyeing him over a glass of water. Klaus is still in denial about his memory loss and Finn knows he has to convince him somehow to remember Caroline, to make him understand that she is the best thing to have come into his life, into all their lives. Finally he stops at the end of his bed, 'She's not only your fiancé, she's your guardian angel, Klaus! If you've got any sense in that head of yours you'd propose for a second time, and make that girl you're wife, because it's not every day you get a second chance at life.' Finn smiled to himself as he left Klaus staring after him with his mouth open in surprise.<p>

* * *

><p>Klaus is resting when Caroline entered, carrying his belongings. She thinks about creeping in and leaving them on his chair, but as she moves forward, his eyelids open and he's calling her name. She feels awkward, her eyes meet his and he she realizes he's wearing the same aftershave as that day on the train platform - the day she had saved his life. He beckons her to sit down and share a sandwich with him. Caroline chuckles, shaking her head and he's watching her closely, almost regretfully, and she feels that guilty feeling in her chest, again. She sits down, and he's taking her hand, his thumb explores her knuckles and they don't speak for what seems like ages.<p>

She has half convinced herself to walk away, that perhaps it would be best if she broke it all off, the engagement, everything - this was goodbye, then he's telling her about saving the squirrels and she smiles, remembering the newspaper cutting in the family album the teens had shown her at dinner.

'We don't get to do many heroic things when we're adults,' she hears herself saying.

'Well you do,' he turns his head slightly to see her better, holding her gaze. She smiles, remembering at the time, saving him had been more terrifying than heroic. 'You give up your seat every day on the train,' she remembers, fondly. He rolls his eyes. 'Well that's not heroic,' Caroline shrugs. 'It is for the person who sits in it.' She sighs, removing her hand. 'I'm glad you're awake.'

Klaus calls her back. 'You were there when I needed you, you gave me a second chance at life. My family loves you, I may as well love you? Caroline, will you marry me?' She is caught off guard. A clipboard clatters to the floor and Elena is grinning like there's something to grin about. Caroline thinks of Stefan, and then of the handsome man lying in bed looking at her like she's his angel, and the word slips off the tip of her tongue. She knew everyone would think she was crazy, but she had come this far, and she didn't want to spend another Christmas, alone.

* * *

><p>Klaus is sitting in a wheelchair by the lift, eating fudge mint ice-cream. Stefan is agitated, as though there is something on his mind. Klaus hasn't noticed, he's talking about Caroline's visit and Finn's advice. She was pretty, not necessarily his type, but she had saved him, and like Finn had said, God had given him a second chance at life. He is repeating the same sentence over and over and Stefan is getting more and more agitated, running his hand through hair, as though it might cool his frustration. 'She's got to be special...' Klaus murmured for the hundredth time.<p>

'She is special. She gets under your skin as soon as you meet her. I don't know if I want to hug her or arm wrestle her most of the time, which means she can be really, really, likable.' Stefan turns to Klaus as though he wants to tell him something but can't, it doesn't matter though, Klaus hasn't heard a word, his spoon is lying forgotten in his ice-cream Stefan had bought him, and he's talking about the squirrels again - the squirrels he had knocked from their nest with stones, before saving them. Stefan digs his fists into his pockets, he's had enough.

* * *

><p>Caroline is wearing her most daggiest outfit, fluffy socks, a long dress and a cuddly jumper. She pats her cat as she takes down the Christmas tree and lights, and microwaves her dinner that Liz has left out with a post-it note telling her she was working late again and to not wait up. There's a knock on the door - she swings it open, thinking it might be the landlord's son, Jesse who had a huge crush on her, and always left flowers on her doorstep on New Year's Eve.<p>

'Argh! I don't want flowers, I'm not wearing black underwear and I'm not moving in with you Je-Stefan!' Caroline made an apologetic face, stifling a giggle with the back of her hand at his expression. She sighed, letting him come inside and eyeing a present he was carrying wrapped in tissue paper.

Stefan grinned, stepping across the threshold. 'Well, I don't have flowers, I'd like to see you in your black underwear, but under the circumstances, I don't think we should move in together.' Caroline blushed, explaining she thought he was her annoying neighbour. He shook his head and passed her the gift. 'A wedding present. I saw it on the way home from the hospital, just sitting there in plain sight, would you believe it.' Caroline hastily unwrapped it, letting the paper fall to the carpet. She turned the object around in her hands: a snow globe of Florence.

'It's beautiful, Stefan,' Caroline whispered, making it snow by shaking it gently. She puts in on her bookshelf beside her lamp and he's already turned to go. 'Can you give me any reason as to why I shouldn't marry your brother?' she calls out to him. He pauses, slowly turning to face her, and she sees pain and heartbreak in his eyes, but then he's smiling and he barely manages the words, 'I can't.' Caroline watches him leave, wringing her hands together, and feeling the tears roll freely down her cheeks.

* * *

><p>She's sitting on the couch sending out wedding invites to her close friends. Her mum is on speaker and Caroline has explained everything to her. She's a mess, wiping her eyes every few minutes, and smudging the invites with her tears. 'He didn't want me' - she says aloud, as though it finally dawned on her. 'You don't have to go through with it, Caroline.' Liz tells her, but Caroline is adamant. 'Fine, if that's what you want. I'll be there, and you can wear the dress I wore when I married your father. I'll come home as soon as I can, sweetie.' Caroline sighed, ending the call and turned on the TV.<p>

* * *

><p>'You suck,' Stefan said to Klaus as they stood at the altar together. Klaus was nervous, his drip accompanied him and he noticed Esther had polished his shoes, Elijah had picked up his suit, and Freya was already taking photographs of the wedding, flower arrangements were organized by Rebekah who had picked white daisies, and Kol was sitting with his arm around Bonnie's shoulders.<p>

Caroline hurried into the church wearing her mother's wedding dress - Liz had spent all night modernizing it and making it Caroline appropriate. It was now knee-length, off the shoulder, and had a sequined belt. She wore pink ballet flats and had straightened her wavy hair. As Liz escorted her down the aisle, she caught Finn's wink, and looked over Ansel and Esther, Rebekah and Elijah, Bonnie and Kol and then, finally her gaze swept over Stefan and finally Klaus. Her smile faded and she lowered her bouquet of flowers. 'I object,' she whispered, and Freya's camera flashed.

She feels their eyes on her, and there's an uncomfortable silence and she stares at her shoes, tears in her eyes, and knowing that now she'd done it, she'd disappointed everyone, and now she would pay for her betrayal, but when she finally looks up, Stefan is smiling and he says to the church, 'I would have to object too.' Klaus is confused and Ansel is yelling for an explanation, and Kol is smirking. Rebekah, Freya and Esther wait for answers. Liz sighs, squeezing Caroline's shoulder and takes her bouquet, sitting down beside Esther.

'What the hell is going on?'Ansel yells, his eyebrows knotted in frustration.

Caroline took a deep breath. 'I'm in love with your son,' she admits, relief lifts off her shoulders.

'I know,' Ansel says slowly, and Caroline shakes her head, making him understand her revelation.

'Not Klaus, that one.' She points around Klaus to Stefan, and Stefan is grinning at her, while Klaus stands there confused, adjusting his jacket tighter around him. Caroline knows they are waiting for more than her revelation, so she confesses everything from the very beginning, and she knows she is doing the right thing when Liz sends her a smile in encouragement. Even if she did lose everyone else, at least she'd always have her mother.

'I couldn't tell you the truth, then I didn't want to, because I fell in love with you...' Caroline confessed.

'You fell in love with me?' Ansel said in a deadpan voice.

Caroline giggled, shaking her tear-stained face. 'No, all of you, but I know that I've ruined any chances of forgiveness and I want to wish you all a happy new year, and let you know that you all changed my life, and if I had a second chance, I'd do it all differently.' Caroline squeezed Klaus' hand in apology and kissed Stefan's cheek, then she walked back down the aisle, catching Finn's eye, and smiled, grateful for his friendship. As she walked away another girl stormed into the church objecting to the wedding. She was young, very young, with dark, fiery eyes and dark hair.

'Who are you?' Ansel demanded.

'I'm Klaus' fiancé, Greta Bartlett-Bacon! And I refuse to this wedding!'

'Get in line,' the priest said from the organ. She seemed offended, and as Caroline hovered by the door watching Klaus and Ansel move towards the girl, arguing, another man was running up the aisle. 'And I object to your objection,' he yelled, he was old enough to be her father. 'She's my wife!'

During the chaos, Caroline looked over to see Kol making out with Bonnie, and half smiled, remembering how charming Klaus and Stefan had both been, it seemed to run in the whole family.

Stefan was still standing at the altar watching her. 'I'm sorry,' she mouthed, meaning each word.

* * *

><p>Caroline is sitting in her stall, collecting tokens, accepting her reality. Bonnie finished her shift and gives Caroline a hug. 'I'm going to miss you,' Bonnie said. 'At least at the end of all this, you get to go to Italy,' she was trying to make her feel better. Caroline grunted, whispering a bye, and listening to the pigeons fluttering across the platform. Her nose is cold, and she thinks of wrapping herself in a doona and snuggling with her cat as soon as she gets home. One more token, then another, and the people pass her without a hello or a thank you. She's in her own world, and then there's a clink -<p>

She stares at the ring in amazement and raises her head to see Stefan squashed up next to the window, with his family egging him on. She sees them all grinning, and looks back to Stefan who looks almost as uncomfortable as her, if not more. 'Caroline,' he begins, and she touches the diamond ring, tracing the delicate stone gently with her fingertips.

'I need to ask you a question.' She hears Freya telling Stefan to get down on one knee, it is more romantic that way. Finn interrupts loudly, telling her to let him do it his own way. The two bicker, and Caroline is trying not to laugh, she slips the ring onto her thumb, and giggles. Stefan asks her

'Can I come in there, please?' she sees he's about to lose all patience with his family but composes herself.

'I can't,' she begins. Stefan's smile fades, and he takes a step back. 'Not without a token,' she finishes, hovering her finger over the buzzer. Stefan flicks a token into the window, waiting, and Rebekah squeals in delight as Caroline allows him to enter the stall - happiness surges through her body - she hears Ansel yelling at Kol to stop flirting with Bonnie, and Finn and Freya are still bickering while Rebekah and Esther gush over what's about to happen, and Elijah is leaning against a pillar, and beside him is Elena - no, Katherine, and she's wearing a pretty red dress, that's to die for.

Stefan is leaning over her, his fringe tickles her nose and he whispers 'marry me?' and Caroline feels safe, looking deep into his soul, and whispers 'yeah, I love you,' grinning, and he replies 'I love you back,' and Caroline can't wait any longer. Stefan slowly inclines his head, both her hands grab his face and she's kissing him, wrapping her arms around his neck and almost leaves her seat in her eagerness. Stefan's family clap and cheer, and she breaks apart, chuckling. He glances at them, clearly embarrassed, and Caroline can't help but cling to him, finally happy.

'So I had planned to marry Klaus, but I married Stefan instead. Thank goodness my mother was right, life doesn't always turn out the way you plan, but Stefan, Stefan gave me the perfect gift, a stamp in my passport - he took me to Florence for our honeymoon, I guess you might say he gave me the world. Klaus once asked me when it was when I fell in love with Stefan, and I told him, it was while you were sleeping.'

**A/N: Please review! It's so much fun converting favourite movies into fanfictions, hope you enjoyed it. If you haven't seen the movie, it's an absolute must! :) And I'm sorry, I didn't put in the mistletoe/family dinner scene because it didn't quite fit so if you want to read something similar, feel free to visit my tumblr + tagged/sterolineislight for a truly amazing Steroline mistletoe kiss. x**


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